1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to solid carbonaceous fuel materials and to readily ignitable coatings therefor which on burning more rapidly ignite the fuel material. In particular, the invention relates to carbonaceous fuel materials commonly known as charcoal, which materials are formed into briquettes used for cooking foods directly thereover.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Charcoal briquettes have long been employed for cooking of foods, the foods typically being disposed directly over the briquettes with only an apertured grill disposed therebetween. Briquettes so used are usually ignited after saturation with a flammable liquid. When using such liquids, it is necessary to wait a sufficient time to assure complete burning of the liquid, a significant portion of the charcoal having to be burned to guarantee that the liquid, which liquid would degrade the food if the food were cooked over the charcoal prior to consumption of the liquid, is completely burned. A substantial amount of time is required and a certain portion of the mass of the briquettes of accordingly lost before the food to be cooked can be placed over the briquettes when this common practice is employed. Further, during ignition of briquettes so saturated, the liquid can flash or flame-up in a dangerous fashion. Ignitable coatings have also been proposed for briquettes, the coatings typically containing an ignitable material which penetrates the porous briquettes to a depth which requires that a significant portion of the body of the briquette be burned away so that the ignitable material is consumed prior to use of the briquette for cooking. Therefore, a substantial amount of time is still required before the briquettes are ready for use, a greater amount of charcoal being also required for a given cooking situation since a substantial portion of the charcoal mass must be burned away prior to use.
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,312, issued to Perlus and to U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,093, issued to Kreinik wherein extensive descriptions of prior charcoal briquettes are provided, the disadvantages of the briquettes of the art prior to Perlus and Kreinik being discussed. In particular, prior briquettes have typically been either difficult to ignite or so flammable that ignition of the briquettes with a match proves to be dangerous. Further, prior attempts to provide an instant-igniting charcoal briquette often resulted in the use of ignitable materials which burned with the emission of heavy smoke, a situation understandably unpleasant to a user of the charcoal briquette. Ignitable coatings for charcoal briquettes which have been provided more recently have typically been expensive and have included flammable liquid materials which penetrate the briquette to a distance which requires the burning of a substantial portion of the mass of the briquette prior to use thereof, a bed of ignited briquettes or "coals" suitable for cooking typically requiring an extended period of time due to the necessity for awaiting the complete combustion of the coating and of the flammable liquid material which has penetrated into the body of the briquette. Accordingly, the prior art has not provided an inexpensive coating for charcoal briquettes, which coating is readily ignitable without danger to a user of the charcoal and which burns rapidly and without consumption of substantial portions of the mass of the briquette to allow rapid formation of a bed of "coals" suitable for cooking.